Thursday, July 5, 2012

Blue Moon Ice Cream

Holidays, such as July 4th, always make me a little nostalgic, so naturally I go looking for some childhood memories...mainly food. One of my favorite food memories involves an ice cream flavor that may be the dessert equivalent of mystery meat. No Kidding. I googled this stuff and it's described as tasting like everything from pineapple to marshmallows to Fruit Loops. If you've ever lived in Michigan or Wisconsin, you will know this ice cream is called Blue Moon. If you grew up anywhere else, you probably won't know what I'm talking about....

Recently, a new soda fountain opened up in St. Paul. Of course, I had to check it out and, lo and behold, they sold Blue Moon ice cream. I hadn't tasted Blue Moon since I was about ten, so I asked for a taste. Holy Smokes! It was spot on! For the record, they described the taste as the milk left over from your bowl of Fruit Loops...not a bad comparison. I had to see what I could do to make it at home.

I found a few recipes on the Internet that looked promising. One in particular, from Food.com, sounded like it might be right, so I started with that and put my own spin on it.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and the sugar with a
hand mixer until thickened and lemon colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla,
raspberry, and lemon extracts, the flavor mix, and the food coloring; set
aside.

I found the Cotton Candy flavored Frosting Creations at the store...it sounded like it might just fit in to this recipe. As a bonus, it's blue! Since I used eggs in this recipe though, it wasn't blue enough...it had a slight green tinge, so I still added some blue food coloring.

Place the milk and the cream in a medium sized saucepan.
Heat over medium/low heat until the mixture just comes to a simmer. Slowly
whisk the egg mixture into the hot cream and continue to heat until it comes to
a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for another two
minutes. Remove from heat and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Pour the chilled cream into an ice cream maker and churn
according to directions, about 30 minutes.
If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream into an
airtight container and freeze for several hours.

Oh, yes! This is pretty darn close. Next time I'll try the vanilla pudding mix to see if there is a difference.

I am originally from Michigan, so when we go to ice cream shops here in the GA (or CT when we were there) and ask for blue moon they think we are crazy..its my husbands favorite flavor, so i will have to give it a try for sure. is there a way to do this if i dont have and ice cream maker?

p.s. we love superman ice cream as well and that doesnt seem to exist anywhere but MI either lol

i guess i'll have to break and finally go get an ice cream maker.. true superman ice cream has blue moon in it, along with a red and yellow something..i cant even guess what it is either, its just good :)

I have never heard of our tried Blue Moon but my first thoughts were to cotton candy the way you described it. It certainly is a pretty shade of blue! thanks for sharing your ice cream and your memories with us!

Totally forgot about blue moon ice cream! Had no idea it was only in Michigan and Wisconsin - but it makes sense since I haven't seen it since I was a kid....Always made your tongue blue - loved it!Thanks for the memory reminder.KathyJ

I grew up on the East Coast, so I've never had blue moon ice cream. But the color alone has me wanting to try this! And don't you just love the milk at the bottom of any sweet cereal bowl! This looks fabulous! : )

My daughter lives in S.C., however grew up in Wisconsin and loving her blue moon ice cream as a child! It's not just for kids! When are the southern states and others going to catch on to this great ice cream flavor? It's like not having cheese curds on a menu! What are they thinking?

I was sitting here eating a bowl of superman and decided to google blue moon for kicks. I live in the pacific northwest but grew up in Michigan. My parents still live here and I HAVE to buy a carton of superman every time I come home. Blue moon is my favorite flavor, but I also live the "red" flavor which I heard is black cherry. I will die if companies stop making it! Love the local aspect of it!

About Me

My blog, The Dutch Baker's Daughter , was started in 2009 as a way to connect with others in the food community and to share my love of cooking and baking with home cooks on every level. While the title of my blog describes my heritage perfectly (as I am indeed the daughter of a Dutch baker), I was born and raised in the United States and my own recipe style is varied. I do share a handful of Dutch recipes, but I am first and foremost a competitive cook and baker, having placed in and/or won several recipe contests. My passion is to share these competitive adventures and the results are all over the board... desserts, breakfasts, dinners, appetizers, cocktails...nothing is off limits!

The Original Dutch Baker

My Heritage

On September 17, 1944, my father, Joost Stapelbroek, was delivering bread by bicycle in the Dutch countryside. He looked up in the sky and to his amazement, he saw the 101st Aireborne Division descending into his Nazi-occupied country to begin Operation Market-Garden and to begin the liberation of Holland. His admiration of those wonderful Screaming Eagles led to his love of all things American and ultimately to his decision to relocate his family to this fabulous country.